Method of and machine for cutting and removing tie-leaves from hands of leaves



2 Sheets-Sheet l T. R. PRIDDY %Q 0 O O O y OI INVENTQR.

THaM/qs F. FR/DD Y TIE LEAVES FROM HANDS OF LEAVES Flled March 5, 1935 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING Sept. 22, 1936.

ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1936.

T. R. PRIDDY 2,055,306

.METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING -TIE LEAVES FROM HANDS OF LEAVES wlllmrllrlllrlllll/ll Filed March 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. THEM/=15 F. PR/DQ Y a 'I'TORNEY.

Patented Sept. 22, 1936 METHOD or AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING HANDS F LEAVES TIE-LEAVES FROM- Thomas R. Briddy, Richmond, Va., assignor to The American, Tobacco N Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9,506

Claims. (01.131-57) My present invention'relates generally to tobacco stemming machines and more particularly to mechanism for feeding hands or tied bundles ofleaves and for removing the tie-leaf from each hand or bundle as it is fed to the stemming machine where the membraneous portions of the leaves are stripped from their stems.

As is well known in the art a so-called hand of tobacco consists of'a number (from 20 to 50) of tobacco leaves tied together at their butt ends with another tobacco leaf which-is wound about the butts with the free end of the tie-leaf tucked in between the stems of two adjacent leavesin order to hold the hand or bundle intact for future handling, such as curing, ageing and other treatments.

It is also well known in the art that it is the prevailing practice in tobacco manufacturing establishments to first remove the tie leaf from each hand of tobacco before the leaves are fed into the stemming machine. This work of removing the tie leaves from the hands is now performed manuallyand is therefore slow andte'di ous thus materially increasing the cost-of the stemming operation.

' The object of thepresent invention is to provide forfeeding hands of tobacco leaves toward 'andinto atobacco stemming machine and for automatically removing the tie leavesfrom the hands as they are thus fed forward in order that the leaves of the hands may be spread or separated before they enter the stemming machine. So faras Iam'aware I am the firstin the art to provide anysuchhandfeeding and tie-leaf removing mechanism cooperatively associated with a stemming machine so that the untied hands may be fed intact to beautomatically untied as they are advanced toward thestemming machinel" a Briefly and generally stated the invention comprises anendless feeding meansfor advancing the hands of leaves toward the tobacco stemming machine and a tie-leaf cutting and removing mechanism associated with and'located in the path of travel of the hands and operating to cut and remove the tie-leaves from the hands as they are successively moved forward, the said tie-leaf cutting mechanism being positioned at a point slightly in advance of the inlet end of the stemming machine in order to permit the leavesofthe hands to be moreor less uniformly spread and straightened just before they are fed into the stemming machine. 1

I have elected to show my invention inassoci'ation with a. tobacco stemming machineof the type disclosed in the patent to C. G. Maxwell,.No. 1,986,781, dated Jan.1, 1935, with which machine it is now in successful operation, but I do not wish to-be understood as limiting myself to an association with that particular type of machine as the-invention is well adapted for use in association with other types of stemming machines as well as for independentuse. 1 In order to enable others skilled in the art to understand, construct and use my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made for that purpose to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1', is a top plan view of the machine shown applied to a known type of stemming machine.

Fig. 2, is a vertical section taken alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1.'

Fig. 3, is a vertical section takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the'"hand. feeding and tie-leaf cutting mechanism. l I

PATENT OFFICE Fig. 4, is a verticalsection on'the line 4- -4 of Fig.3.

Figs."5 and 6 are .detail views of one form of tieleaf cutting blade and its mounting.

Fig-7, is an explodedview. of thecutting blade and its mounting. l 1- Referring. to Figs. 1 and2 of. the drawings, the reference letter A indicates generally thefeed end of a tobacco stemming machine, as, for example, the machine of the C. G. Maxwell patent,

No.1,986,781, andthe referenceletter B indicates generally my. improved tie-leaf cutting and feeding mechanism shown in association with sucha tobacco stemming machine.

. In the stemming machine of the. Maxwell pat- ;ent, the leaves to be stemmed are. carried through the machine by means of opposed groups of endless cables a, .as more clearly described '.in. the said patent, said cables being mounted in part upon pulleys b, thatareinturn mounted upon shafts c, driven in any suitable manner as: by

means of a sprocket d, from a motor e.

, My improved tie-leaf "cutting. and removing meansconsists, in the :illustratedform-of the invention, of a housing I, mounted upon legs 2, the housing having'a hinged .cover 3 at its upper end whereby access may be'gained to. the interior thereof. 6 N

- Journaled in bearings carried by the end-walls 3 of the housing and extending transversely, thereof are two horizontal shafts 4:, one of which is.-1ocated above the other, said shafts being rotated in opposite directions by any suitable -means, such-as the chain and sprocketlarrange- 6 and 7, has an offset flange 8 to receive its blade 6, which is removably secured thereto by means of screw bolts I0, the blades being further provided with spaced openings 12 to aline with suitable pins I3 carried by the ofiset portion 8.

Obviously, the removable cutting blades may be' otherwise mounted upon the shafts 4' without. departing from the spirit of the invention. The

blades 6 are made readily removable from theirholders in order that they may be quickly detached for sharpening purposes .and then quickly replaced. r

. Aswill be seen by reference to Fig. 4, I have shown each of the shafts 4. as provided with five spaced-apart cutting blades; 6,: the blades on each shaft being preferably arranged at different anglesso' as to present a substantially spiral arrangement, and it will also be seen that the blades of one set. are offset laterally with relation to the blades of the other set. It will also be r seen by referring. to Fig. 3, that. the tip. ends .of

the. blades of one: shaft overlap the: tip ends of the blades of 1. the. other shaft during. the; rotation thereof, and that the blades. operate alternately and successively .--.upon the tie-leaves of the during such advance.

"hands: of leaves, as. will. hereinafter more clearly appean. 1 '1 r According to my invention I provide at. the front of the housing I, and in spaced relation to; the two sets of rotary cutters, a mechanism for gripping and advancing the. hands'of. leaves through the housing and in theqrange. of action. of the cutting blades,. so that. said. blades will cut, and remove the tie-leaves that are wrapped around the butt ends of the'-."hands.,.or.bundles ofle'aves In Fig. l; of the. drawings the hands? ofleavestare indicated by the letter C, and the tie-leaves are indicated'by the letter D.

' -:;This: means: for gripping and the .ff-hands of leaves, as. illustrated in the. present 'embodimentof the invention, comprises an upper endless :chain of links I34, preferably composed of fiber links, although metahlinks' may beemployed if desired. and a lower set of endless links [5. .The. upper set of endIesSLchaimlinksJs mounted upon spaced-apart sprockets onipulleys Midis.-

posed: at opposite ends of the housing I, and the lower=set t. of endlesszchain linksis-mounted upon sprockets l-:'| ,..as. more clearly shown-.'in- Fig. 2. Thetwo endl'esschainsof links have. opposed parallel runs forming between thema gripping means for gripping and; transporting the hands of leaves C ied therebetween, and for. carrying them within the range of action of the cutting blades 6 so that during themovement of the hands through the cutting range of the blades, the tie-leaves. D: are cut and removed from the hands, leaving the hands or bundles of leaves untied, so they will assume substantially the condition shown at E to the right of Fig. 1.

LI: prefer to provide aplurality of spaced-apart idler sprockets 18; upon. which the. upper run of the lower endless. chain may be supported, and I further prefer-to provide a plurality of yieldably :m0unted -.ro1lers l.9:to.press.or.bear upon the 'lowenrun: of the .upper endless .chain,. so as to yieldingly press the upper run of the chain against the hands of leaves as they are fed forward by the chains and so as to prevent the leaves from moving endwise under the pulling strain of the cutting-blades during the tie-leaf cutting operation. The idler rollers l9 are mounted in vertically-movable bearings 20 normally urged downward by means of coiled springs 2|, as more clearly shownin Fig. 2, and the upper chain I4 is provided with a tensioning roller 22. The lower chain links 15 are provided with a tensioning sprocket 23. I also prefer to mount the sprockets l6 upon vertically-yielding bearings 24, that are normally urged downward by means of springs 25. Obviously, any other approved hand gripping and advancing means may be employed in lieu of the means described.

As will be seen by referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the the endless hand gripping and transporting means presents parallel runs, which extend across and slightly beyond the entire width of the; housing for the cutters. so that the hands of leaves fed between the parallel runs ,will be firmly gripped at a point intermediate their ends during the entire time they are transported through the tie-leaf cutting and removing mechanism.

A table 26 is. provided at the feed end of the hand" gripping and conveying, means and another table 21 is interposed between said means and the feedend of the stemming machine A, as

mounted upon suitably arranged pulleys that may be driven in any suitable manner. I also provide a. feed belt 30., which is arranged to .travel over the two. tables 26 and 21,. and infront of the tieleaf cutting and removing means,.a-ndwhich belt likewise extends into the feed end of the stemming machine; -The.three.belts 28,. 29 and 30:, together withgthe endless hand gripping and transporting means, convey the. hands" of leaves through the tie-leaf removingv means, andfrom thence directly into the stemming machine. where the membranous portions of. the leaves. are removed.

The tables 26 anc'tZl areprovided, at their rear ends with upstanding guide boards 3| against whichthe butt *ends of ,the hands? of leaves may be caused to. abut in order to. properly aline the hands and the leaves.

As. will be seen by: referring to: Figs, 3- and 4,

the end walls 2. of the-mousing. l, are cut away to; provide openings 32,, whicha-relocated inthe path of travel of the hands of leaves so: that the latter may be transported through. the housing; and. in the range of action of the: cutting blades..

I preferto-arrange-or locateathe tie-leafcutting andremoving means a slight distance inadvance of the feed-endof the stemming machine A, as

.more clearly shownin Figsl; 1. and 2, and provide .the' separate endless feeding, means: described in order to leave. sufficient space at this. point to accommodate one .or; more operators who. can spread or separate the leaves of the hands? by hand. after: the tie-leaves havebeen removed therefrom, sdthat the leaves: may be; moreuniformly separated or spread before being fed into the; stemmingj machine.

It will be understood that the endless means for feeding the hands" of leaves as shown at the left-hand end of Figs. 1 and 2 and the associated table 26, will be of considerable length in order to accommodate a suflicient number of op erators to place the hands of leaves upon the endless feed belts. This is desirable, if not necessary, because the capacity of the stemming machine, which is a high capacity machine, depends for its output upon the rapidity with which the leaves are fed thereto, and it is desirable, therefore, to arrange to keep the feed belts 28 and 30 leading up to the tie-leaf cutting and removing means fed to substantial capacity with the hands slightly spaced one from the other substantially as shown to the left of Fig. 1.

The housing I is provided at its lower open end with a hopper 33 to convey away the fragments of the cut tie-leaves as they are cut and removed from the hands. The lower end of the hopper may lead to a conveyor or to a lower floor of the building in which the stemming operations are carried on.

As far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to provide a machine for automatically cutting and removing the tie-leaves from hands or bundles of leaves, and the first to associate such a means with a tobacco stemming machine, and I have demonstrated by actual practice of the invention that by the use thereof the cost of the stemming operation is very materially reduced. and the productive capacity of the stemming machine materially increased.

The operation of the machine will be clear from the foregoing description, suffice it to add that the hands of leaves are transported horizontally sidewise with their tied butt-ends free, the transporting means operating to hold the leaves against endwise movement, and while being thus transported the said butt-ends are brought successively into the range of action of the rapidly rotating cutting blades, which deliver to the tie-leaves a rapid succession of cutting impacts directed transversely across the tie-leaves to cut and remove them in fragments and to thus free the butts of the leaves of the hands.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tobacco, stemming machine, of means for advancing hands of leaves toward said machine with the leaves of each hand bound together with a tie-leaf, and means located in the path of movement of the hands for removing the tie-leaf from each hand as it is moved forward by the advancing means.

2. In combination with a tobacco stemming machine, of means for successively advancing hands of leaves toward said machine with the butts of the leaves of each hand" bound together with a tie-leaf, means located in the path of movement of the hands toward the said machine for cutting the tie-leaf from each hand, and endless means for gripping the -hands transversely at a point intermediate their ends and for transporting the tied butt ends in the range of movement of the cutting means.

3. In combination with a tobacco stemming machine, of means for advancing hands of leaves toward said machine with the butts of the leaves of each hand bound together with a tie-leaf, and rotary cutting blades located in the path of -movement of the butts of the hands for cutting and removing the tie-leaves therefrom as the hands are moved forward by the advancing means.

4. In combination with a tobacco stemming machine, of means located in advance of the feed end of the machine for cutting the tie-leaves from hands of leaves, a conveyor for advancing hands of leaves to the cutting means, endless means for gripping the leaves of the hands and transporting them in the range of action of the cutting means, and a conveyor leading from the cutting means to the feed end of the stemming machine.

5. A machine for cutting the tie-leaves from hands of leaves, comprising two opposed sets of rotary cutting blades mounted upon horizontal axes, and endless means for gripping and advancing hands of leaves in a horizontal path with the tied butt ends within the range of action of the said cutting blades.

6. A machine for cutting the tie-leaves from hands of leaves, comprising a housing having a pair of horizontal shafts arranged one above the other and journaled in bearings in the opposite walls of the housing, a plurality of cutting blades secured to each shaft, said blades being offset relative to each other, and endless means for gripping and advancing the tied butts of the hands within the range of action of the said cutting blades.

7. A machine for cutting the tie-leaves from hands of leaves, comprising two opposed sets of rotary cutting blades with the blades of one set offset relative to those of the other set, means for rotating the blades in opposite directions, and opposed endless gripping and advancing means having parallel runs located for travel in a horizontal path in front of and in a plane between the said two sets of cutting blades.

8. A machine for cutting the tie-leaves from hands, comprising two opposed sets of rotary cutting blades with the blades of one set offset relative to those of the other set, means for rotating the blades in opposite directions, opposed endless gripping and advancing means having parallel runs located for travel in a horizontal path in front of and in a plane between the axes of the'cutting blades, and means for yieldingly urging one run of the endless advancing means toward its companion run.

9. The method of removing tie-leaves from tied hands of tobacco leaves, which consists in gripping a succession of hands transversely at a point intermediate their ends and advancing them horizontally sidewise leaving their tied buttends free, and then subjecting the tie-leaves to a succession of transversely directed cutting impacts as the hands are thus transported to sever and remove the tie-leaves in fragments.

10. The method of removing tie-leaves from tied hands of tobacco leaves, which consists in advancing a succession of the hands of leaves horizontally sidewise with their butt ends free, holding the hands against endwise movement as they are advanced, and then subjecting the tie-leaves to a succession of cutting impacts directed across the tie-leaves and longitudinally of the hands to sever and remove the tie-leaves in fragments.

THOMAS R. PRIDDY. 

